When I was a little girl I retaliated to harsh words from my elementary classmates with sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me. It sounded good at the time to snap back sarcastically at their hurtful words in hopes of drowning out the humiliation I received.
Words are powerful whether spoken or written. Look at the depressed child who grew up being told he would never amount to anything, then look at the jovial one who was raised with praise and encouragement. Words affect self-esteem, your state of mind, your personality, and ultimately, your life and the way you see it.
I was raised hearing my parents say I could do anything I set my mind to do. I believed them. I learned to sew and make make my clothes as a teenager. I taught myself to crochet, do needlepoint, calligraphy, and do pottery. When I decided to play softball I started out rather clumsy, but a lot of practice turned me into a home run hitter and landed me a permanent position as first-baseman. The power of my parents words helped me face every challenge. They believed in me, therefore, I believed in myself.
The Holy Bible states that you are snared by the words of your mouth (Proverbs 6:2 NKJ) and that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21 NKJ).
I challenge you to pay attention to your words and ask yourself: Am I encouraging or tearing down? Am I helping or wounding? Am I speaking words of life or words of death?
There’s no limit to how far you can go in life when you receive positive, encouraging words from others. So, enjoy your life to it’s fullest, in a godly manner, and always remember to choose your words wisely.
Loretta
Thank you
You’re so right, Loretta! Words can tear someone down or build them up. We need to be careful on how we choose them! Thanks for the reminder.
Darlene
That is very wise words and it’s very true. I’ve been there myself and learning to not do what others did to me. if only the rest of the world could take hold of this, it would be a much better place.